UPDATED: 3 Chicago cops indicted by grand jury for alleged cover-up in the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald

RT
Wed, 28 Jun 2017 00:21 UTC

© Zbigniew Bzdak/Global Look Press

Jason Van Dyke

Multiple felony indictments have come down against one current and two former Chicago police officers. A special prosecutor says they went beyond the "code of silence" and conspired to obstruct justice after the police shooting death of Laquan McDonald.

Chicago Police detective David March and patrol officers Joseph Walsh and Thomas Gaffney each face felony charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and official misconduct, after being indicted by a grand jury Tuesday, the state-appointed special prosecutor in the case, Patricia Brown Holmes, has announced.

Holmes would not rule out the possibility of more indictments or further charges in the future during a Tuesday press conference. She said the grand jury's investigation was not yet complete.

The indictments stem from the initial investigation into the October 2014 killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who was shot 16 times by police officer Jason Van Dyke after walking away from police who ordered him to put down a knife.

Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder in November 2015 immediately after a Cook County judge ordered the release of police dashcam footage of the shooting, which then went viral.

Walsh, 48, who was Van Dyke's partner that night, Gaffney, 43, and March, 58, were all at the scene of the shooting, Holmes told reporters.

"The indictment makes clear that these defendants did more than merely obey an unofficial 'code of silence,' rather it alleges that they lied about what occurred to prevent independent criminal investigators from learning the truth," she said, according to the Chicago Tribune.

An arraignment hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse has been set for July 10 for Walsh, Gaffney and March. Meanwhile, Van Dyke's trial has yet to be scheduled.

The indictment alleges that three officers filed false police reports, left out key evidence and "mischaracterized the video recordings so that independent criminal investigators would not learn the truth about the killing and the public would not see the video recordings," among other actions that the officers themselves knew to be illegal, in order "to shield" Van Dyke.

Holmes told reporters that the officers failed to complete investigation in a manner that would reveal the truth.

March and Walsh resigned from the Chicago Police Department in August 2016 following the release of the city inspector general's report that found March lied to the county medical examiner's office when he said McDonald lunged at Van Dyke. Walsh had backed up his claims. March had spent 30 years on the force, while Walsh had spent 20. Gaffney, also a 20-year veteran, remains on the force.

The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, which collectively bargains for rank-and-file Chicago officers, said that they have not reviewed the indictment and, as general practice, do not comment on ongoing investigations, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Each of the counts against each officer carries a sentence of three-to-five years in prison and fines of up to $25,000, Holmes said.

Comment: The shooting occurred in October, 2014. Jason Van Dyke has still not been brought to trial. Justice is not so swift!

See also:

• Chicago police chief recommends firing 7 cops accused of covering up shooting of Laquan McDonald
• Dirty cops didn't know this camera caught them deleting video of the murder of Laquan McDonald
• Black Friday protests over Laquan McDonald shooting shut down major Chicago shopping district
• Laquan McDonald prosecutor requests withdrawal, cop's attorney wants special security due to death threats, harassment

UPDATE: July 10, 2017
According to RT:

Three Chicago, Illinois police officers charged with conspiracy to cover up their colleague's 2014 shooting of black teenager Laquan Mcdonald have pleaded not guilty, while the judge assigned to hear the case recused herself without explanation.

Just before their arraignment hearing was about to start Monday, Judge Mary Margaret Brosnahan announced she was recusing herself from the case, offering no explanation for her decision. Following Brosnahan's recusal, [Judge Diane Gordon] Cannon was assigned the case of the three officers.

Once the hearing began, March, Walsh and Gaffney pleaded not guilty, and were released on their own recognizance with a $50,000 bond they will have to pay if they don't show up for the trial. Their next court date is August 29.

"We are very well aware of the fact that this case has great public interest. There's a great deal of emotion involved. That's understandable. There's probably even some politics involved. All we're hoping for at the end of the day is that we receive a fair hearing," said Tom Breen, Walsh's attorney, according to AP.

Walsh, 48, was Van Dyke's partner at the time and allegedly gave conflicting accounts about the events leading up to the shooting.

Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder in November 2015, and has pleaded not guilty. In March 2017, a grand jury added 16 counts of aggravated battery, one for each bullet fired at McDonald. His trial has yet to be scheduled.

The trio also prepared and submitted police reports that portrayed Walsh, Gaffney and Van Dyke as "victims assaulted and battered" by McDonald, according to the indictment. Holmes said they also conspired in failing to locate and preserve physical evidence.

Following a 13-month investigation into the Chicago PD following the McDonald shooting, the Obama administration proposed a court-enforced settlement reforming the police. Last month, however, [Mayor Rahm] Emanuel said he would sign a memorandum of agreement with the Trump administration establishing an independent monitor instead.